Gear Recommendations for Associates

Some associates join the JCSP team but need to upgrade their equipment before they can start taking sessions. Luckily, there's lots of great used and refurbished equipment that can get you started without breaking the bank.

Below I'll list bodies and lenses I can recommend, but in general, the minimum requirements are a Full Frame DSLR or Mirrorless body with 12mp or more, with at least one full frame, versatile lens with a max. aperture between 1.2-2.8. Ideally, your camera body will have dual memory card slots, which will save your butt if one of your cards fail (this happens!).

If this all sounds like I'm speaking a foreign language, don't worry, you'll be fluent in no time!

Nikon Bodies

Nikon D700

This is a great budget full frame camera body. It has only one memory card slot and it's for a CF card, which are more expensive than SD cards, although are typically more secure and less prone to corruption. As of January 2023, KEH has excellent used D700s starting around $300.

Nikon D610

This is a camera I personally own and was my first with a full frame sensor. It has dual SD memory slots and 24 mp, which is plenty! As of January 2023, KEH has excellent used D610s starting around $500.

Nikon D750

This is another camera I personally own and is one of Nikon's most popular DSLRs. It has dual SD memory slots and 24 mp. As of January 2023, KEH has excellent used D750s starting around $800.

Nikon D800

This is a great pro camera body with a price point that's hard to beat. It has two card slots, one CFX (very expensive cards) and one SD. As of January 2023, KEH has excellent used D700s starting around $300.

Canon Bodies

Canon 6D

This is a great budget full frame camera body. It has only one memory card slot and it's for an SD card,

As of January 2023, KEH has excellent used D700s starting around $450.

Canon 5D Mark III

This is a highly capable 22mp camera with two card slots, one CF and one SD.

As of January 2023, KEH has excellent Mark IIIs starting around $700.

Sony Bodies

Sony a7

Sony is considered the leader in mirrorless by many. Here's one of their most popular mirrorless bodies. It has 24mp and dual slots. As of January 2023, KEH has excellent used a7s starting around $600.

Lenses

Shopping for a lens is a bit more cut and dry. If you have a smaller budget and could only buy one lens, I would suggest looking for the full frame version of the 50mm 1.8 (usually $150-$250) or 50mm 1.4 if you can stretch your budget just a bit. If you can afford a second lens, the 85mm 1.8 ($200-$500) is an ideal portrait lens that's normally pretty affordable.

This combo is a perfect team and could be all you ever need as a family photographer.